Monday, December 14, 2015

This is my second painting for this month's trip to Ecuador. I had many sites to choose from, but I loved the old wall with the flowers and the storm clouds settling over the mountains. Rain is on the way.

Saturday, December 5, 2015

Ecuador, a country of about 16 million people straddles
the equator in north-western South America. Bordered by the Pacific Ocean on
the west, Columbia on the north and by Peru on the east and south, it has a
land mass of approximately 107,000 sq miles, roughly the size of Nevada. One of
the most biodiverse countries, the climate ranges from tropical and rainy at
the coast, temperate and dryer in the inland mountains, to tropical rainforest in the Amazonian
jungle lowlands. The central regions are mountainous with many active
volcanoes. Mt. Chimborazo is the highest mountain at 20,577 ft. Evidence of the
earliest inhabitants date back to 8060 BC. The Galapagos Islands, located in the Pacific, 650 miles
west of the mainland, became part of Ecuador in 1832.

I
am so pleased to be a member of The Virtual Paint Out Group. I look forward to
each new destination and enjoy exploring and reading the history of the country
and its people. Using Google Street Maps, I can “walk” the streets,
safely travel the roads and back alleys and see people in their environment. This new scenery is a joy to paint.

My Kindle with reference photo and my initial lay-in.

After completing my initial lay-in, I let the painting decide the finish. I know that I have to adjust values and elements to make a painting that I feel is technically correct and one that expresses my vision of the region.